We must go back to August 6, and a loss to Lloyd Harris (6-4, 1-6, 6-4) in Washington, to find the trace of Rafael Nadal’s last game. Absent during the US Open and at the end of the 2021 season, the Spaniard is uncertain about the date of his return to the courts. “I don’t know when I will play again“, confided this Wednesday the Mallorcan, in remarks reported by AS, during a ceremony organized by the town hall of Sant Llorenç des Cardassar (Balearic Islands) to thank him for his help given in 2018 after the tragic torrent which the town has been a victim.
Victim of a relapse in the left foot last summer, the player with 20 Grand Slam titles had then expressed his difficulties on the physical level. “Sincerely, I’m going through a year where I have a lot more foot pain than I should“, he declared on Twitter. Rafael Nadal, now sixth in the ATP ranking, therefore does not wish to rush his body.”I want to recover from the injury to get back in shape“, he first indicated on Wednesday.
“I am a precise plan. In my head I’m clear on my goals and hope things take a positive course so I can try to compete. I work a lot every day to recover first. We have to be a little careful, look a little in the medium term, he added. Then when I’m well I want to be ready to come back to play in great shape. “On January 17th, the Australian Open will kick off. And Rafael Nadal hopes to be in Melbourne to try to win a 21st Grand Slam title.
Di Pasquale: “His defeat in the first round does not take away anything from the new dimension taken by Tsitsipas”
